Amrit Kumar was already feeling feverish when Mohammed Saiyub and different migrant employees boarded a truck at Surat early on Thursday. The 2 mates, each 23 years previous, labored in several textile models however shared a room as a result of they belonged to the identical village in Basti in Uttar Pradesh, a whole bunch of kilometres away from Gujarat.

The paracetamol tablets that they had stocked had been of little assist as Amrit’s situation didn’t enhance via the journey atop the truck in scorching warmth. When the automobile reached Kolaras in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, Amrit’s health deteriorated. When Saiyub sought medical assist for his friend, neither employees nor the truck driver needed to attend.

“Dar nahi laga. Yehi lag raha tha ki ye jaldi thik ho jaye aur ghar pahunch jaaye sahi salamat. Mere parents bhi intezar kar rahe the uske mammi papa bhi. Jab tak ilaz nahi hota mai yahi rahunga (I was not scared. I wanted him to get better so that we could reach home safe. Our parents were waiting for us. I will stay with him till he is cured),” mentioned the 23-year-old whereas talking to The Indian Express from an isolation facility in Shivpuri district hospital on Sunday.

When Amrit received down, the motive force requested Saiyub to go his friend’s baggage and take his place within the truck. “Mai nahi aane wala. Tum logonko jaana hai to jao. Aise halat mein chhod ke kaise ja sakta hu (I am not going to continue. If you want you can leave. How could I leave (him) in such condition,” Saiyub informed the motive force and others earlier than getting down.

Mohammed Saiyub rushes his friend to the hospital in an ambulance.

As Amrit continued to sink, Saiyub sat cradling his friend by the roadside, a picture that has gone viral on the social media. A half-empty water bottle and a crimson backpack lay subsequent to the 2 mates. When an ambulance arrived a couple of minutes later, one other picture confirmed Saiyub hurrying to maneuver his friend inside. Earlier than the ambulance arrived he used his handkerchief and water to decrease his friend’s temperature.

“I realized he may not survive. He tried to speak but could make only some sounds,” mentioned Saiyub, who’s ready for his and his friend’s Covid-19 check outcomes. Amrit was taken to the neighborhood health centre in Kolaras the place Dr Vivek Sharma tried to revive him. “His sugar was low. I gave him ORS. His temperature was high. I thought it was a case of heat stroke. He had febrile convulsions,’” mentioned Dr Sharma, who took Saiyub for Amrit’s brother as a result of he was continually touching his friend. “Even ward boys are scared to touch patients these days. They have to be pushed to do so.”

Amrit was then referred to Shivpuri, the district headquarters, about 25 kms away. He died late on Friday. Shivpuri chief medical and health officer Dr A L Sharma mentioned samples had been taken as a result of Amrit and his friend had arrived from a crimson zone. He mentioned Amrit’s lungs had been clear however he had extreme dehydration. He was shifted to ICU and was stored on ventilator however he died round midnight. Till the reviews arrive, docs and employees who handled Amrit have gone in quarantine.

Saiyub mentioned being the only real breadwinner for his household his friend was all the time tensed. He earned round Rs 10,000 and needed to ship sufficient cash to assist his two siblings and oldsters. He mentioned Amrit had spoken to the motive force and paid for each of them.